Coach-door latch



June 22 1926. A iSSQ-,

S. F. BECK coAcH Doo'R LATCH Filed Feb 8 1924 INVENTOR JW @u YMwMATTORNEYS.

Vitl

Patented June Z2, 1926.

Uhl-ETED STATE.'

SIGMND F. BECK, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTCUT.

COACH-130GB. LATCH.

Applcation'led February 8, 1924.

This invention relates to latch operating mechanisms, and although it isof general application itis especially adapted for use in doors wherethere isvery little clearance available for the latch spindle as iscommonly the case in coach or closed automobile body doors where theglass as it moves from its closed position to the open position passesby the spindle ot the outside operating'` handle.

lt is, therefore, an object of the invention to providev a latchopera-ting` mechanism which will retract the latch when operated ineither direction, but which may be located closely adjacent theedgeotthe door.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of thischaracter which will give the' result specified but which will be verysimple in construction requiring but lew parts' and will, therefore, becomparatively cheap to manufacture and cannot be easily gotten outotorder in operation.

lith the foregoing and other objects in view lhave devised theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- F 1 isafront view of a portion ot a door showing,` my. improved latchoperatingA mechanism applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a partial elevation and a partial sectionsoithe edge ot saidportion` or the door looking from the right ot Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view through the latch looking` upwardly fromthe bottom 0i Figll.' v j Fig.' l is a longitudinal section through thelatch casing'substantially on line t-e ot Fig'. 3, but showingvthelatchy operating mechanism in' elevation.

Fig. 5 isa plan view ot one oft the tollower elements.-

Fig. 'is 'a similar =view o'f'th'e'other tollower element,v theelements' in lthese two views tions they normally occupywvhen assembledin the latch.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the 'follower' shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an'end'view of the ope ating bushing,- and Fig. 9 is a 'sideelevation thereof.

1n Ithe-usual 'latch operating follower arranged to retract the latch onturning-ot the latch' spindle' or knob in' eithendirection," theY rfollower-is' usually inadef'inpne piecej., and" for thisreasonpclearance' 'must be'provided l'ieing arranged in the relativeposi.

Serial No. 691,383.

to allow the idle wing to swing` backwardly or toward the edge ofthedoor when the spindle is rotated. This construction requires that thespindle be located a sutilcient distance from the edge ot the door t0allow for this backward swing ot these wings. rllhis clearance could notbe provided in the usual coachl or closed automobile doors as there isnot room enough between the edge, of the window glass andthe edge of thedoor, and therefore, the general practice isto use one way spindles7that is t-he latch can be retracted only by rotating' the spindle in onedirection. This, at times, is very annoying as it is natural fordifferent people to turn the spindle in dilierent directions inoperating the latch bolt, and also a person naturally tends to`rotatevthe spindle in opposite directions with the diiierent hands, andeven at dillerent times with the same hand, so that a one way spindleOtten causes delay and more or less trouble.

To overcome these difticulties the inventor has devised a latchoperating mechanism which will allow rotation ofthe spindle in eitherdirection to retract the latch bolt, and which requires no more spacethan the one way spindle. so that it is, adapted for use-on coach orclosed automobile doors.

ln the drawing I have shown the latch operating' mechanism as applied toa given type ol latch but this is merely tor the purpose or illustrationas the type or latch'is not important and my improved latch operatingmechanism may be applied to numerous diitlerent types or latches as willbe obvious. ln the constructiony shown, however. I have'shown a casing'10 mounted'vin a recess in the inner side ol a coach door 11 and at theedge thereof as is connnon practice.

`Guided to slide withn this casing is thc latch bolt 12 forming amovable,securingelement projecting' from the edgeo the door,` L s shown andcurved on the inner side 13 to reactwith the keeper, not shown, toretract the bolt in thel usual manner when the door is closed.'Extending through the door is the 1usual latch operating spindle 1lpreferably substantially square in crosssection and connected onropposite sides ot the door with'the usual operating'handl'es '1.5 and16 carriedby the bolt 12 or suitable mechanism connectedtherewith. Onopposite sides ot the'spindle the bolt is provided with shoulders .'17.and 18.. Mounted on the 'spindle,so as to'rotate therewith, is abushltlfi llt) in@` 19 provided with a the outer wail thereof.

'lhe followers for operating' thc latch bolt from 'the spindle comprisetwo elements 2l am preferably flat plates, as shown in and i'. and haveextending` thror 'rh them openings 23 and 724ifor the pas of bushings;19V so that these followers are mounted on the bushing'. 'lfhesefollowers are each provided with a wing;` projection Q5 and 26respectively so located that when they are assembled on the bushing, asshown in l? 1 and 4f, they project from the spindle in oppositedirections and en- ;i'age the shoulders 'li' and lS respectively of thebolt. ,Each follower 2l and Z2 is cut ai rv at one side of the openings23 and 2.,; .shown at and QS in Figs. and 6, and the cutaway portion ispreierahly in the forni of a sector extending; somewhat more than 900,although this may vary dependin upon the amount of movement required bythe lup,` 2O in retractingr the latch bolt. rllhese cutaway portionsprovide shoulders 29 and 3G so arranged that when they are as sembled onthe bushing` 19 they engage the opposite sides of the lug 20, as shownin F il, and the cutaway portions 2'? and 28 extend in oppositedirections from these shoulders and this lug.

The operation is as follows:

Referring' to Fig'. 4t it will be seen that rotation of the spindle 1 4to the rightor clockwise as viewed in this ligure will move the. lug 2Oin the same direction, and as the shoulder 30 bears against the upperside of this lug, the follower 22 will rotate with the bushing', theprojection 26 will move rearwardly or to the left, as shown in thisligure, and by reaction on the shoulder 18 will retract the latch boltagainst the action of the spring 31. During this movement in a clockwisedirection the lug 2l) will move around the cutaway portion 27 infollower Q1 and this follower together with its projection 25 willremain stationary, and, therefore. no clearance is required for movementof this element to the right of its normal po^ition as shown in Fig. 4.Likewise it will be apparent that upon rotation of the spindle to theleft or counter-clockwise. as viewed in Fig. LL, the lue' 20 will movein the same direction, and as it bears on its lower side againstshoulder 29 carried by follower Q1 this follower will be. rotated withthe bushing; moving its projection 25 to the left, and by reaction onthe upper shoulder 17 of the bolt will retract this bolt in the samemanner. Duringr this movement the lug' 2O will move around the cutoutportion 2S in projecting lug; Q() on follower Q2 and this follower willremain stationary.

lt will, therefore, be apparent that rotation of the spindle in eitherdirection will rotate one only of the followers 21 and 22,

the other renraiuing;` stationary, and that,r tir ire, the bolt may beretracted by rotation of the spindle in either direction However, asduring rotation of the spindl.n

i either direction the projection or f as the case may be movesrearwardly 4wav from the edge of the eoor and the other projectionremains stationary and does not move toward the edge of the ooor noclearance is required to taire care or" this movement as would be thecase if the two projections 25 and 2G were in one pier-e or on a singlefollower, as is now the f, n eral practice. lt will, theret'orc, beaPbaront that the spindle ld; ma',1 he located closely adjacent theedge. of the door allow-Y ingr plenty of room for passage of the. ed ofthe lglass 32 as it is lowered to a posit.V within the door, andtl'ierefore, this spindle. although it will retract the bolt whenrotated in either direction, still may he placed as near the edge of thedoor as may the spindle which operates the bolt when it is rotated inone direction only, and thus will not interfere with the operation ofthe win dow.

It will also be apparent that the device is very simple in constructioninvolving merely the two simple pieces to form the two followers, and somay he manufactured at low cost and will not be liable to be easilygotten out of order.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what l claim is:

1. In a latch, a sliding holt, a rotatable spindle, a bushing` securedto said spindle, a lug carried by said bushing, a pair of relativelymovable followers provided with wing projections extending in oppositedirections and adapted to engage said bolt to retract the saine7 areshoulders carried by each of said followers in the path of movement ofsaid lug and facing in opposite directions.

2. In a latch, a sliding bolt, a rotatable spindle, a bushing; securedto said spindle, a lug carried by said bushing, a pair of relativelymovable followers embracing said bushing' and provided with wingprojections extending in opposite directions and adapted to engage saidbolt to retract the same, said followers being cut away to formshoulders to engage the opposite sides of said lug,` and to also formspaces for the free movement of the lug away from said shoulders.

3. In a latch, a sliding bolt provided with shoulders, a rotatablespindle, a bushing; secured to the spindle, a pair of independentfollowers mounted on the bushing and adapted for movement relativethereto, said followers being each provided with a wing1 projection andarranged with the said projections extending in opposite directions fromthe spindle and adapt-ed to engage respectively the shoulders on thebolt, and a lug carried by the bushing, said followers being providedwith shoulders arranged to respectively engage the opposite sides of thelug upon rotation of the spindle in opposite directions.

il. In a latch, a sliding bolt provided with shoulders, a rotatablespindle, a pair of followers having wing projections extending inopposite directions from the spindle and adapted to engage saidshoulders to retract the bolt, said followers being each provided withan opening therethrough, a bushing on said spindle and mounted forrelative rotation in said openings, said followers being cut awayadjacent said openings to provide shoulders facing in oppositedirections and spaces leading from said shoulders, and a lug carried bysaid bushing and located in said cutaway portions and adapted to altennately engage the shoulders carried by the respective followers uponrotation of the spindle in opposite directions.

5. In a latch a movable securing element, a follower connected with saidsecuring element to retract the same, a rotatable spindle,

a bushing secured to said spindle, a lug carried by said bushing, and ashoulder carried by the follower in the path of movement of said lug inone direction whereby the iollo-wer will be operated to retract thesecuring element upon rotation of the spindle in a correspondingdirection, said lug adapted for movement independent ot' the followerupon rotation of the spindle in the opposite direction.

6. In a latch a movable securing element, a rotatable spindle, a.bushing secured to said spindle, a lug carried by said bushing, and afollower provided with an opening adapted to receive said bushingandhaving a wing projection adapted to retract the securing element whenmoved in one direction, said follower being cut away to form a shoulderadapted to be engaged by Said lug when the spindle is rotated in acorresponding direction and a space for free movement of said lug in theopposite direction.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

SIGMOND F. BECK.

